Snap plate for football

ABSTRACT

An item for use on a wet football field whereby the ball is supported on the line of scrimmage in reasonably dry condition since otherwise the ball, even though quickly wiped off, may be again made wet and slippery by recontammination with the wet and muddy turf when placed on the ground at the scrimmage line. This invention envisages a light weight water repellent plate which is easily carried manually and which has cleats on its underside to engage the turf and a replaceable absorptive pad or towel held in place on its upper surface by a peripheral wall on the plate.

[1 1 [111 3,8@,399 Cupralt May 7, 1974 SNAP PLATE FOR FOOTBALL Primary ExaminerRichard C. Pinkham [76] Inventor: Thomas Cuprak, 2038 Alta View T Dr San Diego, Calif. 92139 Attorney, Agent, or rrmRoy L. Knox [22] Filed: Apr. 28, 1972 [57] ABSTRACT [21] Appl. No.: 248,636

An item for use on a wet football field whereby the ball is supported on the line of scrimmage in reason- [52] US. Cl ably dry Condition Since otherwise the ban, even t ou ulc y wlpe o ma e again ma e wetan [5111mm 4B4/R h ghq'kl 'dff yb d d [58] Field of Search 273/55 3 X 5 slippery by recontammination with the wet and muddy 273/4 C, v 5 turf when placed on the ground at the scrimmage line. This invention envisages a light weight water repellent [56] References Cited plate which is easily carried manually and which has UNITED STATES PATENTS cleats on its underside to engage the turf and a re- 853,3l6 5/1907 Nix 273/4 B placeable absorptive pad or towel held in place on its 3,227,450 l/l 66 r t 273/55 B upper surface by a peripheral wall on the plate. 2,809,040 10/1957 Trovato 273/4 R 6 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures time it contacts the ground and in particular, with rell 2' SNAP PLATE FOR FOOTBALL moisture impervious, light-weight material, ordinarily plastic and this plate may be substantially square as il- BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION v lustrated, oval or otherwise shaped. The plate 16 should be easily carried by hand and of course should The difficulty of holding Onto a mud-slicked football. 5 not have sharp edges or be otherwise fashioned so as to especially when being tackled, as Well as he nc e se constitute a hazard to the players should it be inadverdifficulty in throwing, catching d even In kicking tently contacted during scrimmage. To this end the corsuch a ball is well recognized and poses a considerable Hers 22 are d d d ll edges are di d, extra difficulty or hazard to the offensive team which T upstanding i h l ll 14 are interrupted y y not be completely neutralized during 3 with openings 24 provided at the comers at 22 to faciligame' Players and officials may atlempl to Prevent tate cleaning and drainage of any moisture that might \{ndue accumulation of 1 a ball in play, s e otherwise collect within the walls. At the top of the by Somewhat casual wlpmg the Player 8 walls inwardly turned lip flanges 26 aid in retention of form and the center may carry a towel for use by himthe replaceable pad self and by the quarterback at least in drying the hands 1 5 This pad-12 is dimensioned to fit marginally under but the ball may be freshly wetted and/or muddled each the hp flanges 26 and is preferably towehhke and sorptive of moisture. The pad is easily replaceable, finger access thereto being facilitated by the openings 24. This last feature has considerable importance due to SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION the conditions of use of the item. If a towel or towellike pad chosen requires folding prior to insertion the lip flanges are particularly useful in retaining the folded article in flat folded position.

Finally the turf-engaging cleats 18 depend in spaced relation from the underside of the plate 16. These cleats will oridinarily by unitary with the plate 16 and are preferably non-circular in cross section in order to provide maximum anti-slip characteristics, it being recalled that the cleats 22 will ordinarily pass through a limited thickness of grass into rain-softened soil.

I claim: 1. Football equipment, comprising: 7 a generally planar, easily portable base plate of a ma- ,terial impervious to moisture, said base plate having a maximum transverse dimension not substan tially greater than the length of an official ellipsoidal football;

upstanding peripheral wall members on said base gard to this invention, every time it is placed on the ground at the scrimmage line.

As claimed, this inventioncomprises a combination including a plate, easily carried by hand and impervious to moisture, and provided with cleats on its undersurface to engage the turf and an absorbent pad or towel 25 on its upper surface replaceably held by a peripheral wall formed integral with the-plate. Refinement of'construction includes making the wall discontinuous, preferably with openings at the corners to facilitate cleaning and drainage, and provision of lip flanges 0n the interrupted wall for better retentionof pad or towel, the openings in the peripheral wall also facilitating finger access to the pad for easy removal of the pad when it is necessary to replace the same.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the base plate with the pad and football omitted;

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of the base plate;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line Plate; 3 3 f I 2 with the pad in place and and a moisture absorbent pad on said base plate of FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of a reduced scale, Such a Size that its edges at least in P t abut Said showing the complete combination of plate, pad and pe'l'lphel'al members so as to be reasonably football as in use. tamed thereby.

2. Equipment according to claim 1 wherein said pad DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED i a h toweh EMBO I 3. Equipment according to claim 1 wherein said pe- R f i now to h d i h complete biripheral members have lip flanges under which said pad nation is illustrated on a reduced scale in FIG. 4 is marginally insertedwherein a football 10 is shown supported on an absorp- Equipment according 0 claim 1 wherein Said petive pad 12, fragmentarily represented in that figure as T iPher 31 Wall members are interrupted to define a held-in place by the peripheral upstanding walls 14 on g p ning a base plate 16 further equipped with depending cleats Equipmen according to claim 1 wherein said base 18 which are pressed into engagement with the ground plate has turf-engaging cleats on the surface thereon or turf 20, this being easily accomplished since the item 5 remote from said peripheral wall members.

is designed for use only when the ground or turf is wet. 6. Equipment according to claim 1 and including a football supported on said pad. The base plate 16 may be a simple planar section of 

1. Football equipment, comprising: a generally planar, easily portable base plate of a material impervious to moisture, said base plate having a maximum transverse dimension not substantially greater than the length of an official ellipsoidal football; upstanding peripheral wall members on said base plate; and a moisture absorbent pad on said base plate of such a size that its edges at least in part abut said peripheral wall members so as to be reasonably retained thereby.
 2. Equipment according to claim 1 wherein said pad is a hand towel.
 3. Equipment according to claim 1 wherein said peripheral members have lip flanges under which said pad is marginally inserted.
 4. Equipment according to claim 1 wherein said peripheral wall members are interrupted to define drainage openings.
 5. Equipment according to claim 1 wherein said base plate has turf-engaging cleats on the surface thereon remote from said peripheral wall members.
 6. Equipment according to claim 1 and including a football supported on said pad. 